My dad bought a 1977 Caprice for my mom to use as her car. I remember going to the dealership with him to order the car mothers day weekend 1977, we got the car around July. The salesman went through every option to select for the order. The color was Buckskin metallic with a light buckskin vinyl roof and my dad ordered every option including the f-41 sport suspension with that also came with larger tires and sport wheel covers - that made the car look really sharp and it was a real head turner. It had the 350 V8 with a 4 bbl rochester, and everything else including rear window defogger (lines in the glass), ac, am/fm stereo with power antenna, split front seat, power drivers side seat, window, locks, trunk, etc. but he liked the standard speedometer, not the round gage package. It listed for $8,500 and the dealer took off 15%, even on an order, so it was a good deal, plus it was Motor-trend car of the year! They had the car for around 12 years. The transmission did need to be rebuilt once around 70K miles but overall is was a great reliable car and had a nice ride, stiffer, and handled well. I used to wax that car twice a year and kept it detailed and it was garage kept. A neighbor had eyed the car for years and always wanted to buy it, so eventually my dad sold it to him.
Im 18 and own a 77 impala. Daily drive it all year around in canada. Things been rust proofed to death. Super reliable and super comfortable to drive. On studded winter tires it just plows through the snow and ice. Plenty of power and decent on gas. In minus 40 Celsius, give it 3 pumps and it starts right up. Hold the throttle for about 20 seconds, high idle kicks in. Hit the road in 1 minute. Fantastic super reliable car
My car in high school was a 79 caprice landau 2 door. I loved that car. I kicked myself for years for getting rid of it. I found it 2 years ago ( almost 22 years later) and bought it. It's gonna take a lot of work, but I am just happy to have it home.
I worked for a Buick dealership back during this time. The Lesabre was essentially a gussied up Caprice. They were great cars. The v-6 models were crude, and "grumbly". The 350 LaSabres were actually nice driving. The things I saw with these Buicks, were>>.speedometers, cruise control units, and those fancy clocks! GM had a time with those. I do remember those Big Buicks as quiet otherwise. The owners liked their MPG two. It's a shame that now we HAVE to live with, Ugly exteriors and weird interiors. Thank You Adam for the memories of that Buick Dealership back in '77.
This was one of the Great Moments in General Motors history! GM quite figuratively "bet the farm" on the all new 1977 downsized Big cars. The future of the corporation rested on public acceptance for the new lineup of cars. NBC's, Today Show devoted an entire morning's broadcast on the introduction of the new 1977 GM cars, complete with interviews of GM management. When I saw how awesome the 1977 Chevrolet looked, outside and inside, I took a deep breath - the future looked very, very good to me!
A college friend of mine in the early '90s had a 1977 Impala. It was in the kind of shape you would expect of a 14-year-old car built in the late '70s and owned by a succession of high school and college students, but when there were six of us and we all needed to get to Denny's at 2 o'clock on a Saturday morning, we accepted no substitutes. :)
One of the best cars from Chevy , simple , stylish, reliable, good value, and now 77' to 90' they are expensive now in good shape and desired by many. The police package one's at that time were awesome. In fact how many great movie chases were these used in , my friends and I always said a box chevy cop car something is about to go down. My dad ran these as taxi's and were essentially bulletproof we would get 300k miles one friend got 500k miles as taxis in Boston pot holes heat cold snow .
Best GM car in my lifetime and sadly their last unqualified success. I still regret selling mine to buy an 84 Pontiac STE. If GM started making them again, I'd be first in line to buy a 4 door, 350 4BBL, F41 w 70 series tires and power everything. Hard to believe 3 years after this was introduced, they started selling the Citation.
Great point. What happened there was smaller cars ended up taking top priority as consumers wanted more fuel efficiency. Japanese OEM’s had a lot to do with this.
With the engineering people they have on staff today, there no reason they couldn't produce similar cars with over 300hp, that can do 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds, and still deliver over 30 miles per gallon, while carrying four people with luggage, comfortably.
I bought a Citation After rebuilding the crankshaft at 72,000 kms it ran forever. Transmission made it to the end. But the rusted unibody (even though rustproofed) the seats were falling through the floor within 8 yrs
We bought a 1983 Caprice Classic 4-door sedan in 1986 after our daughter was born since we needed more room for "stuff". We drove it for 31 years. It is, far and away, THE GREATEST vehicle I've ever owned.
I knew about 4 people that owned a 77-87 Impala and Caprices. The coupes were so nice and just different especially with the rear glass. My friends father loved these cars so much he bought about 4 of them and the last one being the Caprice Brougham. The Caprice Brougham drove like a Cadillac. I used to park cars at a country club and there were many of theses cars and I loved driving them. They are starting to increase in value.
I remember seeing these cars when they first came out and thinking how small they looked. Looking back, they were huge. My dad bought a new 1979 Caprice in December of 1978. The next spring, on a field trip with my automotive class to the GM plant in Oshawa, I got to see them being built.
Dad had a ‘78 Caprice Classic and it was a great car. The build quality was a step forward. Quiet, great to drive and easy to work on. We had the 350 which for the time was pretty powerful. No squeaks or rattles.
I remember when these came out. We were blown away by the combination of tidy size yet massive interior and at how good it still looked. It was a home run for Chevy in an era when they needed one.
The 1978 Impala was the first new car buy for me. I originally wanted a Camero, but the car lacked sufficient head room for me. Back then I got to order the car with exactly the options I wanted, none of this option group crap of today. I selected a dark blue coupe with white vinyl interior and blue carpeting. The engine was the 305 V8 with a turbo 350 auto transmission and posi traction differential. It had 70 series thin white stripe tires and full wheel covers. Other options were the econominder gauge package, rear defogger, heavy duty radiator, chrome wheel moldings, AM/FM 8Track Stereo, and the F41 Sport Suspension. To my surprise that car with the F41 package was named Motor Trend Car of the Year. It drove and handled great while being a beautiful full size car.
Very well done. I have owned over 100 of these in various iterations, and currently have 4 in daily use. 1982 Impala, 1983 Olds 98, 1984 Olds 98 coupe, and a 1984 Pontiac Parisienne wagon. The availability of parts and also the interchangeability of parts makes them a lot of fun to own.
My '78 Caprice coupe with a 350 was my first 'nice' low mileage car, bought it in '84 after finishing college. Two tone tan on top and gold on the sides with the wraparound rear window and wire hubcaps, very classy. Had it for six trouble free years and sold it still running and driving great with 150,000 miles. No major repairs needed in those six years, great car.
These came out when I was 15 years old and sooooo into cars! I remember being incredibly disappointed with the direction style was going after it's release!
I was 14 and I remember saying to my dad "those are no bigger than a Ford Granada!" Before long, though he had a 78 Caprice and loved it. That car was bullet proof. Handled great and ride did not suffer from the larger predecessors. It was a home run.
@@UberLummox X3 - although the Impala two door coupe is a rather sharp looking car - but compared to say Oldsmobile, I did find the gauge faces to look cheap and more generic.
I’ll never forget how thrilled I was when I was given a new 79 Impala as a company car. First job out of college, I drove it for quite a while until the employer got rid of their company car program. I think it had the smaller V8 and I don’t recall any issues with the car in 50000 miles. Pretty red 4 dr., I can’t remember if it had power locks and windows. Sad to see how GM has penny pinched their quality away.
@@TylerDurden-oy2hm Yes, the 2 companies I worked for all offered the custodian the option to buy the car once it hit the age or mileage limits. It was usually a good price. I always treated my cars as if they were my own, knowing that if I liked the car I might buy it.
My dad’s experience was just what GM was hoping for as he traded a 1971 Buick Electra Limited for a brand new 1977 Chevrolet Caprice Classic sedan in two-tone blue, blue velour interior, 350 V-8, and F-41 suspension. It was a taut yet supple handling car with good interior packaging. The weak point was indeed the transmission and ours failed at about 28,000 miles. I think these 1977downsized full-sized cars are some of GM’s best handling large cars. Besides my experience with the ‘77 Caprice, I’ve had a ‘78 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Coupe, ‘79 Buick LeSabre Coupe and an ‘81 Cadillac Fleetwood d’Elegance Coupe. All great cars with their divisional individuality diminished but still intact. Thanks for another informative video, Adam! Especially about some of the people involved in the process.
Adam, these were truly great cars. In 1986 I switched jobs and inherited a 1984 Impala company car. It couldn't get out of its own way, but once up to speed, the V6 engine was perfectly fine. The ride was great, and the handling precise. Mostly though, I remember it as being amazing on snow and ice. The lack of torque and massive trunk, loaded with catalogs and brochures, made it unstoppable in winter. I had it for only a year. That new Taurus company ride just wasn't the same.
Dude I had a 1991 Cadillac Brougham, with winter tires and 300lbs of barbell weights in the trunk that thing was unstoppable in the snow. Even with an open diff, I liked driving it in the snow A LOT more than my 1991 FWD Buick Regal I had before that Caddy. I just felt a lot more in control with that old barge. If it started to slide wide towards the ditch(understeer), I could breath on the throttle, get that back end to swing around just so and counter steer, get that sliding car back under control. Main thing was you just barely breathed on that throttle, very minor steering corrections, if you practiced in an empty parking lot it was stupid easy to figure out how to manage a slide in that car, the handling on snow was superb.
My dad bought a '78 Impala sedan brand new and in the same green that is in the main video picture and throughout it (there's actually one picture you use of a '78, the coupé with small rims; it had the one year only bowtie on the front lip vs the grill and large reverse light lenses.) It was"handed down to me as my first car and we owned it until 1999, where it racked up approximately 350K miles on it. I pretty much grew up in this car since we had for so long (obviously other cars came and went but it was paid off and reliable.) Thanks for making this video, it really was a great trip down a very personal memory lane.
Adam, your channel is pure nostalgia for me. In his later years, my father had a 77 Impala and an 85 Olds 98, both of which you gave a wonderful history lesson. My favorites are the personal luxury coupes, as I grew up with them. Dad also had a 70 Wildcat, which is how I first found your channel reviewing your 70 225. You and Leno are my favorite historians for these gems.
The early versions of this generation Caprice were some of the best looking sedans ever made to my eye. Crisp, simple lines with a very well done 5 mph bumper.
I agree! It was a decent looking car that actually worked in its downsized body. Even by 1990, it still looked good. The "Bulge-mobile" that came out in 1991, while being more aerodynamic, didn't have the same appeal. That being said, I wouldn't pass up an LT1 equipped Impala/Caprice though.
@@DTD110865 Yes the Caprice was an answer to the Ford LTD. The Caprice name came from executive James Chapman's daughter as her name was Caprice. This was suggested by Chevrolet head designer Irv Rybicki in 1964 when he met James Chapman and his daughter Caprice. At least that's what I read some time ago. The Caprice made its debut in 1965 as its high end model and was easily comparable to a high end Buick and Caddy. They were great cars in the 60s and early 70s...before the malaise era.
Saw a mint 1988 Caprice Classic in black the other day. It was stunning. These cars were immensely popular in the Middle East and remain so to this day. Myself, had a 1980 Impala in college and heve never forgotten what a pleasant car it was to own and drive.
I have owned a 77 Coupe Landeau for about 15 years. I am the second owner. It has 96,000 miles on it today. I'm always ask "Did you take a Monte Carlo rear and match it up to the front of an Impala?" They only made about 2500 Impala 2dr. Coupes that year. Love ride and drive!
The sharp creases were deliberately softened in the 1980 restyling, along with a lower hood for better aerodynamics and the discontinuation of the "fishbowl" rear window on the coupe. And don't forget the 5.7L V8 Oldsmobile diesel engine!
Came here to say this too. Not only did Chevys get this treatment but the olds Buick and pontiac variants also did too. Even the mid size coupes , monte carlo, Regal, cutlass, grand prix got an 80s sheet metal refresh.
@@randybutcher5713 yes the Monte Carlo and the Regal and Cutlass had big rectangular headlights and the Grand Prix had the 4 smaller rectangular headlights. The Regal and Monte Carlo and the Cutlass got the smaller headlights in 80. I had had an 80 Regal didn't get the turbo.
I know, because I had an 1985 Caprice at the turn of the millennium. But when GM downsized their full-size cars in 1977, I was skeptical. I was personally convinced the 1973 Oil Embargo was screwing up life in the world (I also thought the "energy crisis" was real), didn't believe they were as roomy as they bragged about, and one time I saw a '78 Impala having a gas tank leak in the parking lot of the Path Mark shopping center in Coram, New York. I didn't know if it was a defect in the car or what, but the Coram Fire Department had to douse the car and other surrounding cars with foam to prevent anything from causing it to flare up.
It may be interesting to know that we continued to build the BelAir here in Oshawa, Canada until 1981 Also, the Pontiac Laurentian which was pretty much a Catalina with BelAir seats and door pads
I have a 1990 Caprice Classic Brougham 4dr LS sedan. Has only 22k orig miles with 305 fuel injected V8. It is a living room on wheels. It is garage kept in mint condition. Really enjoy taking it out on the highway as you feel the power of an old fashioned V8 move the car. A real pleasure to own/drive. Can not tell you how many offers that I get on people wanting to buy. Considering that Chevy is moving away from cars aside from its name car is truly a classic!
I had so many 80s Caprices & Olds Deltas, every one of them was an absolute joy to drive & own (despite the fact I owned them 10-20 years into their service life).
Many friends and relatives with the Impala/Caprice....my favorite...attending a wedding in 1982 with one of my uncles and riding in the back seat of his 1978 Chevy Caprice Classic. He was from out of state...and were winding our way around the country roads of eastern WI. My aunt asked him if he was lost....as a former Aviator his response, "A good pilot is never lost. As of right now, our position is unknown." We made it to the wedding...and observed how much more room the Caprice had compared to the Cutlass A/G body my parents had. I recall seeing the blue bolts on our Cutlass as well but never knew it had to do with metric.
Great history lesson, thanks. Our family purchased a 1977 Olds Delta 88. Great car with a 350 engine. Although too young to drive legally I remember all the fuss about GM downsizing its' full size cars. It was still a time with yearly model changes and the coming of September brought the new models. We traded a 1973 Olds 98 in for the Delta 88. What a big difference in size.
Brings back memories (good ones) from my high school days when a good friend of mine had a 1980 Caprice Classic coupe. We did quite a bit of wrenching on that car over the years and I learned how to change rear axle bearings and axle shafts. It had a habit of eating both wheel bearings and axles until we learned that it had bent axle tubes. These differentials were not the strongest as the tubes were pressed into the center section (the pumpkin) and would begin to sag when abused. Since we were sourcing a replacement diff at the local scrap yard, we discovered other full sized GM cars also suffered the same problem but we did find a 3.08 Posi that was straight. At least it was an upgrade...the original one was a 2.41 peg leg. The 4.4 L V8 was a bit underpowered but overall, a nice car that could carry 6 people without any trouble. Great presentation again Adam!
I remember noticing back in the 1970's that almost every car on the road seemed to be a Chevy Impala. They were everywhere. I thought that was amazing.
My single parent (teacher salary) mother purchased the green 1977 impala that summer. It was the base model with bumper rub strips air conditioning and that’s it…. I learned how to drive in that car. I took that car to prom. My brother took that car to college in the 1980s. She traded it in almost 10 years later for another iconic car ahead of its time the first year Ford Taurus. The significantly reduced 1977 Impala is by today’s standards a Land yacht,,,, but my grandfather made fun of it at the time by how small it was. Of all the cars my mother owned,,.it’s one of my favorites.
I remember the billboard for Caprice '77 had the caption "That's more like it". I didn't dislike the car but I did note how far it had come in twenty years from the beloved '57 model.
I was working at a Buick/Oldsmobile dealership in Wisconsin when the new smaller LeSabre/Electra/Riviera and the 88/98 came out in the fall of 1976. I remember just how popular these vehicles were. It was a very risky move as gas was plentiful and selling for around .55 per gallon. Some people hated them and I knew of a couple people who went to Ford or Chrysler. I can remember the sales people sending out invitations to the unveiling. My next employer was one of the ones that ran out and snapped up a ‘76 Electra Limited. He never drove it in the rain much less salt so the car stayed showroom new until he bought a condo with a garage too small to house it.
Great video! It brought back a lot of memories. My Dad bought a silver with silver vinyl roof and red cloth interior 77 Caprice Classic with the 305 2bbl V8. It was optioned with tilt steering, cruise control, and power windows and locks with an AM/FM radio, no 8 track, or cassette. It was a great car, except for the transmission you mentioned. There were also paint quality issues, (We lived in Biloxi/Gulfport MS at the time, Keesler AFB) as well as soft cams in the 305s. (I don't know about the 350s). Dad had the transmission replaced with the TH 350. As far as the soft cam issue goes, we didn't know that was the cause of the even worse performance (of an already low performance V8) and dieseling of that engine, especially when warmed up to full temp. We thought it had something to do with the carburetor and emissions system of the era. (Pancake catalyltic converters were notorious for faiures then too) We tried a different 2bbl carb with no positive results. We tried switching to a 4bbl intake and carb. Still dieseling when at full temp. Finally, a recall letter shows up in the mail about the camshafts in the 305s being made of soft metal. Once that was fixed, a repaint, and with the TH350 installed, that car was bullet proof. Mind you all this happened within the first 2-3 years of this cars existence.
My first car was a 1977 Impala that my dad gave me. 4 door, 305 single barrel. It was extremely worn out, but still a great first car. Since then I've had a 1980 Olds Delta 88, 1984 Buick Electra, and 1988 Chevy Caprice Classic Brougham. I've never had the Pontiac version but I would definitely like to have one. Love GM B-Body cars. I currently drive a 1996 Buick Roadmaster sedan. It's not as good as the previous generation. But I love the LT1 engine
My first car was 77 Impala Coupe with the aero back window Brown with black vinyl roof No a/c radio, block off plate Thank you for all the great memories
Thanks for a great video. These are some of my favorites. My father bought a green caprice coupe off the showroom floor in late 76. Green with green half vinyl roof and green velour interior. They moved out pretty well with the 350. It is hard to covey what revelation they were compared to what went before. Crisp handling and solidly constructed. Later I had a 77 Pontiac Laurentian with no options save for the 350. As close to a sleeper as you could buy in those days. Finally had a 77 caprice beater. Orange with white vinyl top and black and white interior. They don’t make then like that anymore!
Out of every video I have seen about these full size Chevys I never seen an Almond colored Caprice Classic until this video. The car brought back some memories of my foster grandfather's 77 Caprice Classic, no less with a 350 V8. My foster grandfather bought it new and had it until his death at the age of 97 in 1984, he drove that car right up to a week before he died. The car went on to another family member who had the car into the early 90s. I was mad that I couldn't not get that car, I would most likely have it today.
The full size 77 GM line was the first to use CAD/CAM and became very popular, as was the 78 GM intermediate line, both home runs in styling. Really like the 90 degree rear window in the 2 door Chevrolet Impala coupe.
My uncle had an 82 chevy caprice brougham 4 door. What a comfortable and smooth car. He had to turn it in ahead of time. He was late on a couple of monthly payments. Love that car.
Have had a 1983 Sedan, 305, grey. Its blue interior was the most beautiful of all (8) cars*, I have had until today (*incl. a Mercedes S Class and a Cadillac S.d.Ville). Driving a Caprice in Germany was/is a very special thing, there are almost no cars at that size. Still miss this smooth ride...
The window switches were placed to allow cranked in the same place, I believe. I owned the 1981 Oldsmobile variant and at the time, the clunky torque converter lock-up was noticeable but welcome for the fuel economy benefit. My other memory was the seats being closer to the floor than I would have liked. The 307 engine was great if not too powerful. Thanks for putting this together!
Yes, GM had had a habit of making seats that were too low for years, and starting in the early 1970s, they also favored driver's seats that were too reclined (maybe for crash protection), with no seat back angle adjustments on most of their cars. The Chevette actually got reclining seats by 1978, probably for competitive reasons, but I assume GM's legal department kept them off of the larger models. If you had a 6-way power seat, you could get enough thigh support, or enough shoulder support, but not both at once. For me, a long trip in one of these cars usually ended up in an aching neck.
I had a 1977 Caprice and then a 1983 Caprice. I bought both used and drove them a ton. They were the absolute best cheap, used decent transportation. People used to not believe that I got about 22 MPG on the highway with the 305 V8. Great cars - cheap to maintain, cheap to run, nice ride and comfortable.
This was the year where the full size Ford and Chryslers were instantly dated when compared to the GM 77 cars. In 1983, the new T-Bird and Cougars made the jump to make their competition look dated as did the Taurus and Sable 3 years later. The amazing thing is the GM A cars soldiered on until 1996, 10 years after the Taurus/Sable debut. And GM missed the mark by introducing the GM 10/W body cars as coupes in 1988 before getting the sedans to market in 1990....and the Taurus still felt more modern in interior and exterior design.
I was pretty familiar with this body style of Caprice back in the late 80's early 90's! Granted the ones familiar to me were painted black & white, had red & blue lights all over them & frequently tried to get me to "pull it on over" & always asked for licence & registration when I did. Here I thought they wanted to play when they came flying up on my rear bumper & drafted like Richard Petty. In stock form, they couldn't keep up with me & my friends during pursuits & the town I lived in resorted to having "built" 454 big blocks & turbo 400"s installed in several "high speed pursuit cars" in order to run us down, which they did. Sometimes you can "outrun the radio" but you can't outrun the 475hp big block Caprice in your rearview mirror. Needless to say, they obviously got us all in the end one by one. Was it fun, somewhat, was it cheap, Hell no! Lesson learned, Don't run from the long arm of the law!!!
I bought a 79 Caprice with the 9C1 police package. It had the z28 brakes and upgraded springs, sway bars. The lm1 170hp 350. 4 row radiator and all silicone hoses. That car was the ultimate sleeper in it's day.
Sure appreciate the history lesson, including the info on the designers and engineers involved. I cant think of another RU-vid channel that offers the insider info like you do
Very informative video about a car that I had lots of memories with. My Grandmother purchased a 78 Impala new, and drove that car till she was 90. The Impala was used by her Neice for errands and Dr's appointments for Grandma, as she lived till 100 years old ! Needless to say, the old Impala didn't have a straight panel on her, but was very sound mechanically. I always had the maintenance handled, and took care of any problems that came up. When I sold her, the guy that bought her said he was putting the drivetrain into a demo derby car...lol What a fitting end to the old War horse. Miss you Oma!
These cars were so ubiquitous for so long, that it's interesting to hear how unique they were, when placed in context. Very, very interesting. Thank you once again for providing this perspective!
These full sized GM cars were everywhere when I was a teenager. I rode in many of them. I remember the foam headliners had mysterious dark patches appearing as they aged. The Pontiac and Buick versions had bad paint. The neighbor lady had a Catalina that you could see the primer as the top coat wore off. They were a quiet and comfortable rides.
My mother ordered a 1977 Caprice sedan in light blue. It was a beautiful vehicle and she got many good years of reliable service out of it. It was comfortable to drive, handled well, and had good interior space. The only quirk was that in cold weather, it took a long time for the throttle to kick down and that was a real adventure when there was snow/ice on the ground. I'd always throw it into neutral when coming up to a stop because the back end would fight the brakes. That's one of only 2 cars in my lifetime that I truly miss.
My ex- Brother-In-Law, (now deceased) won a 1977 Chevrolet Impala coupe in a Hutzel Hospital raffle which he was then an employee. I rode in that car numerous times and it was one of my all time favorites. Amazingly, he would go on to work for GM as a quality control engineer for over 30 years.
We had one of these Impalas. At the time we thought it didn't look near as good as the larger ones and was not as plush. But that car drove good, rode good, and ran good. We bought it second hand and had it several years, then sold it to another lady in town who drove it for several more years. They were darn good cars all the way around. And they were pretty darn peppy too with the lighter weight
These were good cars! I drove both civilian and police versions. My grandparents bought one new in 77 or 78. It was a comfortable, no surprises, reliable car. An aunt and uncle bought one new. My parents had a couple that were acquired used for kids but ran great. My dad didn’t care for the one with three 350 four barrel he bought for a sister to drive to school cause it wouldn’t pass a gas station. I drove a number of the mid-late 80s versions with the police package. Personally, I preferred driving the mid 80s Crown Vics, but the Caprices were a hair faster and handled a little better - the CVs’ rear ends tended to get a little loose. Most of the civilian cars I’ve seen had 305s. I bet the 6 cylinder version is rare - I’ve never seen one. Anyway, most excellent video.
A superbly styled sedan for the first three model years that I appreciate even more today. The fully-framed door glass on the coupes was decidedly downscale, but the hot-bent rear window added a fun distraction.
About the dies wearing out--- i think he forgot that in 1980 they actually did "soften" the design. Being a kid at this time it's amazing i was interested in family cars, and not the coupes--- thats how radical they were!
When I was in high school in the late’70’s my mom had a 1977 Caprice Classic in two-tone blue. It was well optioned and had the 350 ci engine. I remember that it was very responsive, comfortable, rode and looked good. I’d like to have that car today.
I was thinking maybe I'm wearing rose colored glasses thinking of my Dads '77 implala! He bought one in 1995 with 75k on it (Canada). 305 2BL stock condition and it drove so smooth, ran flawlessly and best heater ever!!! Great car.
Maybe consider the 1983 Ford Thunderbird and Mercury Cougar.....like the GM '77 B-bodies, they were ubiquitous when new and set a trend. The '83 Thunderbird had what was then called, an 'organic' look, or very rounded and aerodynamic. The GM B-body wasn't that, but it did follow more 'sheer' conventions per what 'downsizing' dictated back then.
In March 1977 I was 12 years old and went with my mom to pick up our new 4-Door, gold color, Impala at Selman Chevrolet in Orange, CA. It was a base model with a pathetic straight six-cylinder, but it had AC and an AM radio. I thought it was cool that the antenna was built into the front windshield. It had a huge trunk and lots of interior space. I believe the price was around $5,400. It was quiet inside and had a comfortable ride. It was garaged and I washed it every weekend and waxed it several times per year. I learned how to change the oil & filter on that car, and would lube the chassis, replace spark plugs annually, and change out the air/breather filers. Also, this is the car I learned how to drive. The car was very reliable with no issues. We sold the car in 1984. I miss that car and wish I had it today.
My 76 Caprice was great. Even though it was completely beat when I bought it for $300 in 1989 - head liner shot, oil burner, etc. It was a scow but I loved it right up until I drove it to the Pick-a-part graveyard and replaced by a 77 98 Regency what was excellent.
The box Caprice’s and Impala’s are steady climbing in value, especially coupes and wagons. It was even happening before the pandemic started, but now they’re really starting to rise with everything else.
I remember my father poking fun at the smaller car having more room. He would say with a smile on his face, " The car was bigger on the inside than on the outside." My grandfather had this 1977 Impala in yellow. Always liked the car but never as much as the road yachts of yester year.
OMG...in 1980 in Rockville, MD...I bought this car used, 1977 Chevy Caprice 4 door....in the green w/ green cloth interior, what a FANTASTIC RIDING CAR......I fix'd it all up and was very sorry I sold it in 1982 for a Pontiac GT6000!!!!! (Transmission blew up at 30K miles 2 years later!)
When I was a kid my dad had a 77 Impala. Didn't know that car was so popular back then. The car nearly lasted 20 years which is good for any car that age.
I bought one of these 1977’s. It was a beautiful car, although it did go down the road at 30mph all by itself. The dealer said it was due to the pollution controls. But great to look at, and it fit in the garage!
My dad had a 1978 Impala wagon with the 350 engine. It replaced a ~73 Dodge Coronet wagon. We were a one car family like most families then. The Impala was used for work, family trips, and hauling loads of materials. With the back seat folded flat and the tailgate down, it had great load space. Air shocks helped with those loads. The air inlet was behind the fuel filler door. One time dad loaded the wagon with lumber up to the roof, all the wood needed to repair a large porch.
77 2 door Impala with the cool rear window with a 305 my second car. Leaked from the rear seal like the Exxon Valdez, but other than that, it was a pleasant car to drive. It was that light green like a couple of the cars in the video.
My father bought a Caprice Classic in ‘78 I believe. It was a very comfortable and a very good driving car. Unfortunately it was painted in the silver blue/silver two tone. The silver paint failed and pealed off in big chunks after a couple of years. Dad complained and Chevrolet told him to kiss off, not there fault. Last Chevy dad ever purchased! I’m positive that every Caprice I have seen painted silver blue tu-tone, seems to have suffered the same fate! I have never bought a GM car because of problems my friends and family have had with them, but there are quite a few 60’s and 70’s Pontiac models (especially), and Camero’s that I would love to have! I’m in my 60’s, and dad is in 80’s, and still driving, a Ford!
I once owned a '77 Oldsmobile with the 350 "Rocket" that me and my wife really enjoyed. Took a few long road trip/vacations in that car with 3 kids, and it never let us down. Bought the car used by the way, but in great condition. Looked to be the same green as your '77 cop car.
Interesting video, great car. Had an ‘81 impala w/ 267 cu in engine that ran flawlessly. No powerhouses but reliable. The comfortable roomy ride was also great! I and my wife miss that car even today. Thanks.
I was a young kid at the time. When any young boy looks at exotics and muscle cars, this thing from GM came out and it was a game changer. Nothing was like it on the road. Piano black trim was used for the first time. The crease lines and classy front and rear end. The coupe rear glass was something wonderful. Yes, by today's look, this car is boxy and perhaps considered dull, but it showed how you can use straight lines to create something special. I hope to find a Caprice Classic in two tone blue one day
Make mine a 2 tone burgundy 4dr. With sport mirrors and wheel covers. 350 and F41 suspension. I love just the look of the rear sway bar hanging down in the back quietly whispering “don’t mess with me”
Upon returning from the UK in 1992 we bought a 1988 Caprice 4 door with 23,000 miles. Lots of scrapes where the old guy had contacted the garage when parking. It had the small V8 and obtained 25 mpg with the OD transmission on the highway. m Remember the federal speed limit was 55. Very nice car with dark blue leather, power windows, manual AC tilt wheel, etc. Last full sized family car as the wife wanted a van so in 95 she traded it in on a 95 Windstar
Those downsized 1977 GM full-sizers were really just returning these cars to the sizes they had been in the 1960s. The 1971-76's had been the exception in being so enormous and bulky. Also, fuel prices weren't the only thing that motivated people back then. People cared more about practicality and, believe it or not, environmental issues than they seem to today, and those were also factors in the popularity of the downsized '77 GM full-sizers. For instance, the oil embargo was in 1973, yet the big introduction of domestic subcompacts (Chevrolet Vega, Ford Pinto, and AMC Gremlin) occurred in 1970-71 and made a big splash with consumers even though fuel prices were low. Other considerations were at work with people, considerations not seen much these days.
